Area sugarhouses to hold open houses, maple syrup making demonstrations

GREENWICH -- The Upper Hudson Maple Producers Association will host two open house weekends March 16 and 17 and March 23 and 24.

Visitors will be able to take free tours of area sugarhouses and see how maple syrup is made.

"We're inviting area families to come and experience first-hand the sights, smells and sounds of maple sugarmaking," said David Campbell, a Salem producer and president of the Upper Hudson Maple Producers Association. "The event has been so successful we have expanded it to two weekends, giving folks more opportunity to come visit sugarhouses."

Signs will be placed along roadsides both weekends to direct motorists to sugarhouses, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

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Most sugarhouses will offer samples and demonstrations. Many of the locations will be serving pancake breakfasts as well.

Participating sugarhouses are located throughout Saratoga, Washington, Warren, Rensselaer, Fulton and Montgomery counties. They are:

o Nightingale's Maple Farm, Galway, 882-9334

o Maple Valley Farm, Corinth, 654-9752

o Dry Brook Sugar House, Salem, 854-3955

o Frasiers Sugar Shack, St. Johnsville, 568-7438

o Grottoli's Maple, Middle Granville, 642-2856

o Hidden Hollow Maple Farm Inc., Warrensburg, 623-9406

o Highland Maple Farm, Argyle, 638-8586

o Kent's Sugar House, Berlin, 658-2134

o Mapleland Farms, Salem, 854-7669

o McComb's Oak Hill Farm, Speculator, 548-6105

o Mud Road Sugar House, Ephratah, 863-6313

o Peaceful Valley Maple Farms, Johnstown, 762-0491

o Rathbun's Maple Sugar House, Whitehall, 642-1799

o Sugar Mill Farm, Greenwich, 692-2486

o Toad Hill Maple Farm, Thurman, 623-4744

o Valley Road Maple Farm, Thurman, 623-9783

o Wild Hill Maple, Salem, 854-7272.

A tree-tapping ceremony to kick off the event is planned for 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, at Rathbun's Maple Sugar House in Whitehall. State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine and local officials are expected to participate.

Maple season generally runs now through late March. The upper Hudson River region is among the biggest syrup-producing areas in New York state.